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(No Model.)

J. W. WESTON REFRIGERATOR BARREL AND OTHER LIKE 'REOEPTAOLES.

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lhvTTEn STATES PATENT UEErcE.

JAMES W. WVESTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REFRIGERATOR-BARREL AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,902, dated May12,1885.

Application filed October 15, 1884. '(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES W. Wnsron, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in RefrigeratorBarrels and other like Receptacles, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description. 7

This invention relates to barrels,tubs,pails, and other like receptaclesmainly intended for holding and transporting articles of a more or lessperishable character, and which receptacles are provided withapproximately airtight and readily opening and closing heads.

The invention consists in a structure within the barrel or receptacleand extending throughout its length or depth, or thereabout, consistingmainly of a series of uprights,and diaphragms adjustable up and downsaid uprights, and constructed to divide the interior of the barrel orreceptacle into a series of compartments for holding and separating fromeach other difierent articles-such as fruit, eggs, 85c. By theadjustment of the diaphragms or partitions,which are made remova ble,the capacity of the several compartments may be varied as required. Theuprights of the structure may either be fixtures to the sides of thebarrel, or be bound together to form an independent frame capable offitting down within the receptacle, and of removal from it whenrequired. Furthermore, said structure is or may be provided with acentral tube extending up from its bottom for holding ice to assist inthe preservation of the contents of the different compartments.

The invention also comprises apecu1iarlylocking device in connectionwith the removable and closefitting head or head-sections to the barrel,and a closing strip or strips fitting between the sections and on orover a remova' ble follower to provide for ready access to the barrel,and for securely fastening or looking the head thereof when closed,substantially as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents an upper end view of a barrel when closed, embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same on the line m min Fig. 1; Fig. 3, atransverse section on the line y y in Fig. 2; Fig.4, a perspective view of a key used to lock the head of the barrel whenclosed; and Fig. 5, a diagram illustrating the application of said keywhen inserted from or through the head end of the barrel. Fig. 6 is aview, on a smaller scale, from the head end of the barrel, illustratingthe application of the key when inserted centrally of the barrel througha straight head-closing strip. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of thecompartment structure when made to provide for its removal bodily fromthe barrel.

Referring in the first instance, or more particularly so, to Figs. 1, 2,3, 4, and 5 of the drawings, A indicates the body of the barrel, or itmight be any other like or suitable receptacle, provided with anairtight or closefitting head. The head, asin previous inventions ofmine covered by Letters Patent Nos. 303,242 and 804,476, issued,respectively,August 5, 1884, and September 2, 1884, is areadily-removable one, and is mainly composed of opposite side sectionsheld to their places by a wedge arranged on or over a follower,

substantially as hereinafter described.

Fitted within the cask or barrel, along or up its sides, are four or anyother suitable number of uprights, B, which may be bent to conform tothe bilge of the barrel, and when so constructed are designed to befixedly secured to the barrel. These uprights, which extend throughoutthe length or depth of the barrel, or thereabout, are parts of an adjustable compartment structure forming an interior fitting to the barreland serving to divide up the barrel into different chambers orseparatedspaces of either the same or different or varying capacities, for thepurpose of holding different articles orsubstances,including eggs,fruit, &c. To form these compartments, combined with the-uprights B areany number of cross partitions or diaphragms, 0, extending across theinterior of the barrel and notched at their edges to provide for theirbeing slid up or down on and being guided by the'uprights B. Saidpartitions are adj usted to their places, according to the differentdepths of the compartments required, by pins I), inserted in holes (2,arranged at suitable distances apart in or through the uprights B, andin sufficient number to provide for any desired adjustment. A tube, D,fitted with a packing, holding, or other suitable cap, d, is arranged toextend freely up through the center of the partitions, and is intendedto hold ice or any suitable frigorific or cooling mixture, to secure amore perfect preservation of the contents of the barrel when of aperishable nature. The partitions 0 should be so fitted or constructed,entire or in sections, as to admit of their ready and successive removalfrom the barrel to provide for packing the chambers or compartments asrequired, or for removal of the contents of the compartments.

If desired, the adjustable compartment structure or interiorbarrel-fitting may have its uprights B straight and be boundtogether bybands 6, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to admit of its being bodily insertedand removed from V the barrel as a loose or independent device,

and, if necessary, the same may be inclosed with bagging or other likematerial to keep the contents of the compartments from falling out whenputting the structure in and out of the barrel. In other respects,however, the structure is the same as hereinbefore described, only beingprovided with a bottom board to make a bottom to the lower compartment.

After the compartment structure has been inserted or secured within thebody of the barrel and the compartments and ice-tube filled, asrequired, a cover, E, is loosely inserted in the head end of the barreland made to rest upon the tube-cap d. The head of the barrel is thenclosed. Said head, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is mainly made up ofopposite side sections, F F, which fit within the usual groove or croze,f, and when adjusted to their places leave a tapering space, 9, betweenthem for the insertion of a tightening-wedge, G, between them, whichwedge rests on a removable lower support or follower, H, extendingacross the barrel and of suitable width to fully close the taperingspace between the head-sections F F. This follower H may loosely rest atits ends upon the tops of the uprights B, or be otherwise suitablysupported, and be braced laterally by removable cross-struts I I,similarly supported at their outer ends, and having a rabbeted fit attheirinner ends in the follower H, substantially as described in myformer patent or patents, hereinbefore referred to. After thetightening-wedge G has been inserted and slightly slid longitudinally totighten the head-sections F F, a turn-button-like locking-key, J, whichconsists of a shank having an outer thumb-piece or head and a lateralpin or projection, 8, near its inner end, is inserted with its pin endforemost down through a round hole, 8, in the wedge or closing strip G,and branch opening 8 at theside of said hole to receive the pin 8through it. Said shank and pin are also passed through a correspondinghole and branch opening, 8, in the follower H, and the key then turnedto lock the head by the pin .9 passing out of line with the opening 8The lateral or branch openings s 5 may either be arranged in'line witheach other or at right angles or other position out of line with eachother, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and whereby two distinct partialturns will be necessary to remove the locking-key, thereby givinggreater security.

If desired, the same locking-key J, instead of being applied from theouter face of the head, as described, may be entered from the exteriorthrough a similar hole with lateral branch or opening in the side orchine of the barrel, and said key, entering the butt-end of the wedge G,be turned to establish the look by the position of the pin 8, out ofline with the branch opening on the inside of the chine part of thebarrel. This arrangement is not shown in the drawings. In some cases,too, instead of a single intermediate headclosing strip or wedge, G,duplicate reverse wedges might be used, tapering outward from the centerof the barrel, and the key J be introduced through or between them attheir butt-ends for engagement with or under the follower H, as in thecase of the single wedge. Furthermore, it is not necessary that thehead-closing strip G should its length; and in Fig. 6 of the drawings itis represented as a straight one and the headsectionsF F as cut tocorrespond. Said figure also shows the key-hole s s as arranged in thecenter of said strip over a centrally'arranged key-hole having abranchopening, 8 in the follower H, for locking the head by means of the keyJ, as in the other figures of the drawings, and as hereinbeforedescribed.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a barrel or other like receptacle having aremovable and closefitting head, of a compartment structure composed ofuprights B and adjustable cross partitions or diaphragms G, constructedfor arrangement within the barrel or receptacle, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the body A of the barrel, of the uprights B,secured to the sides of the barrel on its inside, and constructed toconform to-the' bilge of the barrel, and the partitions or diaphragms O,fitted so as to be capable of adjustment up and down said uprights,essentially as described.

3. In an adjustable compartment structure for barrels and other likereceptacles, the combination of the uprights B, the adjustable partitions O, and the ice-tube D, substantially as shown and described.

4:. In a barrel or other like receptacle provided with an interioradjustable compartment 'be a wedge or of tapering form'in direction ofstructure, the combination, with the heading-strip G and follower H,constructed with sections F, the follower H, and closing-strip key-holesthrough them, and the turn-button- IO G, of the removableturn-buttonlike key J, like key J, substantially as and for the purmadewith a lateral locking pin or projection, poses herein set forth.

5 s, and adapted. to lock the head of the barrel JAMES W. WESTON.

when closed, essentially as described. Witnesses:

5. The combination, with the barrel-body A. GREGORY,

Aand with the head-sections FF, of the closw G. SEDGWIOK.

